An Elegant, Bohemian Wedding at the Columbus Park Refectory in Chicago, Illinois

Fun-loving couple DeniseKee (27 and a program manager at Chicago Public Schools) and Hugh Archibald (26 and a supply chain and logistics manager) put an ultra-personal spin on their spring wedding by using nostalgic childhood games, savory Southern fare and Hawaiian-inspired florals.

A yellow school bus transported guests to Columbus Park, where recess games like checkers and ring toss were scattered throughout the space. “I wanted to incorporate playful details that spoke to my career in education,” Denise says.

“We wanted to get married at a location that truly embodied the elements that make Chicago unique,” Denise says of falling in love with their venue’s redbrick facade.

Postceremony, Denise swapped her veil for a traditional Hawaiian bridal crown made of baby’s breath. The wedding party followed suit, accessorizing their formal attire with plumeria and kukui nut leis, while Hugh wore a maile lei commonly referred to as a “lei of royalty.”

Dinner menus detailed the Chinese yum seng tradition of toasting to the newlyweds.

Gold stemware, whitewashed wood planters and votives topped long banquet tables that ran the length of the refectory. There, guests sat down to an indulgent Southern-inspired dinner of gumbo, fried corn and slow-smoked baby back ribs—a nod to Hugh’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Guests waved wood and lace tambourines as the newlyweds exited the church.